Duke Univ. Official Caught in Sex Sting

In one of the most shocking stories of the week, Frank M. Lombard, the associate director of Duke University's Center for Health Policy, was arrested at his home last week in Durham, North Carolina, accused of offering his 5-year-old adopted son for sex on the Internet. Lombard was caught after unknowingly entering an online chat with a task force officer from Washington's Metropolitan Police, where he admitted, among other things, to drugging the boy with allergy medicine and performing various sexual acts on him, before offering him to the task force officer. Upon his arrest, two children were removed from the home, including the 5-year-old. According to university spokesman Keith Lawrence, Lombard—who has already appeared in federal court, and faces up to 20 years if convicted—was placed on unpaid administrative leave, effective immediately. In the course of their on-going investigation, federal agents have already seized his computer, thumb drives, and webcams.